These Four Products Upgraded My Hair and Scalp in Just 12 Weeks

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Want to know if a product really works? Welcome to Slow Beauty. Since it can take up to six weeks to see results from using a new formula, we have testers try the best and buzziest in hair and skin care for double that amount of time to determine what actually makes a difference.

Once I started pursuing a career in beauty, I figured it was time to start asking the right questions. Namely, how can I nail down a hair-care regimen that brings the best out of my fine waves? I’d been desperately masking frizz since I was a teen, so when I finally figured out a routine that worked for me, it was a huge win.

Except, I recently dyed my hair red, and now it feels like I’m starting my hair journey from scratch. I’m experiencing double the frizz, sparse strands riddled with breakage, and color that fades fast. The L’Oréal Professionnel Metal Detox line couldn’t have come into my life at a more opportune time.

The line focuses on targeting the metal particles that accumulate in our strands, especially if you live in an area with hard water. Repeated exposure to those metals can damage your hair over time, resulting in things like dullness and frizz. So what actually happens when you spend 12 weeks detoxifying your hair of those metal particles? Find out here.

Week 1

In my first week of using the Metal Detox line, I instantly noticed a difference in the shine and vibrancy of my red hair color. For context: Ever since I went red, I’ve been concerned about how quickly the color fades, so I definitely appreciated the noticeable boost of shine from just one wash. The shampoo’s scent is subtle. After applying the Metal Detox Leave-In Styling Cream from the middle of my hair to my ends, I combed my hair and noticed the product didn’t distribute as evenly as I wished it would; certain sections felt a bit clumpy. I have been applying the Metal Detox Concentrated Oil to the tips of my ends after air drying but still feel the need to go in with my tried-and-true argan oil to completely soften and seal the cuticle. The L’Oreal Professionnel oil does have a lovely scent though.

Week 2

I rely on hair masks and styling products to calm my frizz, so I’m especially excited about the conditioning portion of this 12-week regimen. The Metal Detox Hair Mask hasn’t really addressed my concerns about hydration just yet, but I guess I have to consider that, first and foremost, this is a mask that protects the hair from collecting new metals. However, the silky texture of the product is definitely satisfying.

My strands are looking a little dehydrated. It might be because both times I washed my hair this week, it was at nighttime (I’ve held off on going in with additional products after my showers).

Week 3

Lots of firsts this week. I’m experimenting with at-home color products, and based on the aftermath of every color-processing salon visit so far, I expected to see breakage galore. After the at-home box-dye session, I washed my hair with this line and had less visible breakage post-color treatment (there’s hope!). All in all, my color has been increasingly vibrant since I began testing the Metal Detox line, and while I expected my hair to feel a bit brittle, as one would after chemically treating their hair, it didn’t! I could see how this product line could be great for those who undergo color treatments regularly to both protect and fortify the hair cuticle against dyes and bleach.

Week 4

As I hit one full month of using this line, it puts into perspective how much these products have helped retain the shade of my red hair color. My hair has felt clean for more than three days in a row this week—I’m a sweaty girl, so that’s a shock. I also visited Dop Dop Salon in New York, where the salon’s owner and CEO Jo Blackwell-Preston taught me a new trick: Mixing the Metal Detox Oil and Styling Cream together before applying them to wet hair prevents them from forming clumps or causing heaviness, and the concoction helped create a bouncy hold for my blowout. My hair feels light and has movement; I’m starting to look forward to dousing my hair in these styling products.

Week 5

One month in, my hair looks shiny, feels clean, and the color has held well—but it’s time to switch things up. These products aren’t providing the hydration and moisture my strands need, so I’ll be alternating with a hydrating shampoo and conditioner to hopefully replenish my frizzy mane. It does feel great to go longer in between washes without my scalp feeling as itchy and oily as it typically does this time of year, so that’s good.

Week 6

We’re almost at the brink of summer, which means my hair will be in an updo for the foreseeable future. Since finessing a slicked-back bun day after day involves loads of product, I’ve been depending on this line to cleanse my scalp of any product build-up. So far, we’re locked in on that front. (I have been washing my hair less frequently with this line these past two weeks, and now I crave the in-shower sud the Metal Detox Shampoo delivers.)

I’ve also come to the conclusion that this line does more for my particular hair texture if I reserve its use for a deep clean. Once the testing period is over, I’ll double down on this product regimen once or twice a month (or every two months). My hair feels virtually weightless after a cleansing session with these products.

Week 7

My waves are back in their happy state, and since I used the regimen in full this most recent wash day, these products are making it easier for me to get away with postponing the every-six-week salon visit. The vibrancy it gives my hair softens the visual impact of grown-out roots. Plus, it’s been hot out! I’m surprised I’m on day two without feeling like it’s time to wash my sweat-drenched scalp.

Week 8

This is the longest I have gone without getting my hair re-dyed by a professional. These products have kept my tone vibrant, even as the red color fades out. I do wish the hair mask was more hydrating, and while a mixture of the hair oil and balm leave my strands feeling silky and smooth, they don’t remedy the frizz on their own. I’m back from vacation this week, which means my hair has soaked up all the chlorine and salt water it could. I’ve missed this at-home hair care regimen with the L’Oreal Professionnel formulas. It feels great to focus my first wash day at home on nourishing and cleansing my scalp and strands with these products.

Week 9

I can’t help but notice that my hair is super depleted of moisture and hydration. There are so many factors to consider. Did I use the wrong detangling brush? Did I apply my styling product too quickly? Or could I have kept the hair mask in longer? My strands feel extra sparse after air drying and brushing out my hair day after day. While this line has been such a great help with keeping my color looking vibrant as I patiently await my color appointment, the lack of hydration is the worst part. Maybe this line is best to use every two or three washes, or maybe the other shampoo and conditioner I am using in between don’t mix well with these products. I’m not sure. But I do feel every other wash is a bit excessive for someone who already deals with lots of frizz.

Week 10

This week’s feedback is all about the scalp. I got a scalp analysis done, and I am happy to report my scalp is super clean and free of product build-up; I think my 10 weeks of testing this line has lots to do with that. I had gotten one in the past and recall one of my top concerns: itchiness and dry patches. This is the first summer where I’m not washing my hair every single day because of how itchy and dirty my scalp feels after a day in the city, which is a testament to how this line has improved my mane without stripping it of its color.

I still feel like this line is not hydrating my hair enough. However, I’ll be getting my color done on Sunday, so I am excited to see if the color bleeds out of my strands as it typically does, or if this line will help retain my color. Let’s see!

Week 11

I’ve left the salon, I’m feeling renewed, and after four days of extending my blowout as much as possible (because god knows when I’ll learn how to use a round brush), I loved washing my hair with this line for the first time post-color processing. The color barely bled, and I was happy with how soft my hair felt after applying the serum and balm post-shower. I will say the in-shower hair mask seems more effective if I go in with conditioner afterward. On its own, it doesn’t hydrate my strands as much.

Week 12

One one hand, this collection made my hair noticeably vibrant and shiny, and it helped my strands retain their notoriously difficult-to-maintain hue. On the other hand, this line didn’t have the hydration power necessary to target my frizz.

A little side note of appreciation: The collection has kept the area near my hairline pimple-free throughout the 12 weeks of testing. On and off, I’ve experienced pimples around the hairline since I was younger, as well as itchiness and textured bumps around the nape of my neck.

Final Thoughts

Three weeks into testing this line, hairstylist Jo Blackwell-Preston shared that hard metals aren’t discriminatory of hair type—they affect everyone. I’ve been thinking about this statement ever since, and now as I conclude the 12-week stretch and have a little less than half of the Metal Detox Shampoo left over, I’m convinced: It’s important to be mindful of how hard metals impact your hair, and I’ll continue to reach for the shampoo about once a month for a deep cleanse and shine boost. I’ll especially make sure to use it before a color appointment; I know this line will help my hair absorb the dye and help the color last.

Until I began testing this line, I was refreshing my color at the salon every six weeks;, and by week four, my color would typically push toward brassy. This was the longest I went without a salon visit, and the formulas extended the number of days I could go without washing my hair. The Metal Detox Hair Oil brought definition and structure to my waves on days two, three, and sometimes four, and the Hair Styling Cream sealed in the benefits of the in-shower products and has been vital in giving my hair form when I blow it out.

In conclusion, by detoxing my hair of metals via this line, my strands have more natural shine and vibrancy, less brassiness and breakage, and spectacular color hold. But I am excited to start incorporating other products. Using these products as frequently as I have definitely impacted how hydrated my hair looks, so they’re not quite a fit for my texture needs on their own. In my case, the Metal Detox Line will serve best as an occasional restorative treatment for my strands and scalp—which, to be fair, is a luxury for someone who wants to keep color maintenance minimal.

Metal Detox Shampoo

Metal Detox Hair Mask

Metal Detox Hair Oil

Metal Detox Anti-Breakage Leave-In Styling Cream

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